Luxury hotel to open in London stately home

Posted August 17, 2010

Hilton is to open a landmark hotel on the West London estate of the Duke of Northumberland, it announced last July.

The London Syon Park will be part of the chain's luxury Waldorf Astoria collection and is designed to fit in with its opulent surroundings -- right down to the butterfly house in the lobby.

The property is slated to open on the Syon Park estate in November 2010 and will offer 137 rooms and seven luxury suites.

It will also boast an ice cream parlor, swimming pool and spa experience, along with a "discreet treatment" service agreement from a top celebrity surgeon.

Guests will also have access to activities such as trout fishing on the estate's 200 acres (81 hectares) of grounds, which look out across the river Thames to the nearby Kew Gardens.

Syon House has been owned by the Duke of Northumberland's family for over 400 years and is the London residence of the current Duke, who spends much of his time at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, a popular tourist attraction and film set for the Harry Potter movies.

In 1997, the Duchess of Northumberland instigated a massive redevelopment of the grounds around Alnwick castle, which helped The Alnwick Garden to become the third most popular paid-entry garden in the United Kingdom.

However, the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland aren't the only members of the United Kingdom's aristocracy to turn their hands to hospitality.

The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire own a chain of hotels, across their estates in Yorkshire and Derbyshire, including one on the edge of the Chatsworth Estate, the home of their family for over 400 years.

The Duke of Westminster owns the five-star Chester Grosvenor and Spa through the Grosvenor Group, which manages several other businesses and property interests on his behalf.

In Scotland, the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe operate the Roxburghe Hotel and Golf Course, a country house set on their extensive estate in the Scottish Borders countryside.

For information, you may visit http://www.waldorfastoria.com.

-AFP/Relaxnews

Beijing pet spas turn pooches into pandas

Posted August 17, 2010

(BEIJING-AFP) - With pet ownership on the rise in an increasingly affluent China, savvy entrepreneurs are opening animal spas offering dogs a full makeover -- even transformation into a panda.

Sun Ruowen opened her pet salon in central Beijing in May. Already, dozens of customers wanting to pamper their pets -- mainly dogs -- have bought pre-paid service cards which can cost more than 1,000 dollars.

"People are spending more money these days, and more and more people have dogs, so I decided to open a top-end pet store which offers luxury services such as spa and massage," Sun told AFP.

At her shop, dogs can have their coats dyed into novelty designs, transforming the pooches into China's beloved pandas -- a service that can cost up to 300 dollars.

Dog-owners can also have their beloved pets made up to look like one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, from the 1980s cartoon, complete with dark green shells.

Some pets are treated to pedicures, while others are brought in for more traditional baths and cuts. A vast array of products are on offer -- everything from pet snacks and shampoos to frilly outfits and doggy sandals.

"Our motto is 'If you can dream it up, we can do it.' There is no styling we haven't been able to achieve," Sun boasts.

Liu Zhong, 63, has spent 1,000 yuan (150 dollars) on pre-paid treatments for Naonao and says he plans to bring his 10-year-old Pekinese into Sun's salon every two weeks.

"He is the real boss -- the number one in my family," said Liu, as Naonao was given a good scrubbing.

"Eating, drinking, playing -- he is the centre of everything, and our lives revolve around him."

-AFP/Relaxnews

Chanel pays tribute to Coco's pearl fetish

Posted August 10, 2010

(PARIS-AFP) - A monumental lion, teeth bared and one front paw resting proprietorially on a giant pearl, held centre stage, its golden coat caught in the setting sun under the glass dome of the Grand Palais.

Karl Lagerfeld is a past master at dreaming up attention-grabbing scenarios for his Chanel shows, and Tuesday night's was no exception.

It looked like an allusion to Jean Cocteau's Surreal masterpiece "Beauty and the Beast" when the traditional bride at the end was accompanied by a groom wearing a lion's head over his wedding suit. However Lagerfeld told AFP it had been inspired by a small bronze lion found in Coco Chanel's apartment.

But the symbolism of Coco's fetish pearls was clear enough. It was a witty touch to have the models disgorged onto the runway from the pearl which opened like an oyster.

While his ready-to-wear lines for next autumn-winter were all shaggy fake fur, shown against genuine melting ice floes, Lagerfeld's couture collection was very much in keeping with the house's traditions.

His new season's take on the Chanel suit was a neat bolero jacket, with sleeves cropped above or around the elbow, worn over clingy skirts or body-hugging dresses, even incorporated into them.

He showed them in the hallmark handcrafted tweeds in oatmeal, hazelnut, chestnut and plum, with a noticeable absence of black.

To add luxury, knobbly tweeds were threaded with lurex and collars, cuffs and hemlines were even double-edged in fur.

Some jackets had double breasted jewel buttons in front, which then continued down the dress underneath, others were buttoned demurely down the back.

More glamorous variations on the same theme were offered for after dusk, spangled with thousands of minuscule two millimetre pearls.

Among the stand-out pieces were a tailcoat embroidered with pink and green flowers, ending in a natty bow, and a sparkly tapestry top in muted shades of pink, blue and green, set against an autumnal brown.

A geometric shiny satin print glittered with lines of rhinestones and a frock in lacquered red sequins had flower appliques strewn from the hip.

At their wrists the models dangled extraordinary bracelets, a confusion of chains and precious stones, and they were shod in boots which looked like the golden curls of a lion's mane.

Source: AFP/Relaxnews

Honda shows off its first private jet

Posted July 30, 2010

Honda has been showing off its first ever aircraft at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, saying that the jet should fly by the end of the year.

The HondaJet is the first venture into aviation for Honda, more commonly known for its cars and motorcycles, with the brand saying that it incorporates many technological advances in aviation design.

Among them are engines that are mounted above the wing instead of below, which Honda says significantly reduces drag (improving fuel efficiency), cuts noise pollution on the ground and creates additional space in the aircraft cabin.

Like the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, it also features a composite fuselage, which is both lighter and stronger than the traditional alloys used for the main section of the aircraft.

Inside, the HondaJet is decked out with a leather interior, with "exceptional leg room" and "unique lavatory features" in chrome and blue.

Honda says that the factory for the new jet will be completed in early 2011 so that the aircraft can be delivered to its first customers in the third quarter of 2012 with a price tag of $4.5 million (¤3.46 million).

The EAA AirVenture Oshkosh runs through August 1 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA.

-AFP/Relaxnews